Equal Ground
by Crimson Flame-Blue Rose
Summary: While celebrating at their favorite bar, Ralph confesses his insecurities as a worthy officer of the law to a close friend. EnriquexRalph.


The cool ice that touched his lips was comforting; his hot mouth chilled as the whiskey

ran down his throat with its burning caress. Licking his lips of the excess, he swirled the

contents of his glass idly.

Ralph looked up from the polished counter to give a slight grin to his fellow officers, his

shoulders raising up ever so slightly as a forced bark of laughter escaped past his lips.

The joke wasn't even all that amusing, but to act out of character would raise suspicions

and he didn't really want to talk about what was bothering him. He was content with

listening to his buddies' banter.

A few guys from Patrol had decided to go drinking at this bar to celebrate their good

fortune. Kaplan's fortune, in particular; his fellow man in blue was patrolling when he

and his partner had stumbled across a group of thugs. One of the men had been drinking

from a bottle and they merely asked him to put it away or risk getting a citation for

drinking in public; in turn, the bastard got testy and an argument somehow turned into an

all out gun fight. Kaplan was taken hostage on the roof and Zimmerman had called in for

reinforcements, and Cole Phelps was their gift from god.

Cole Phelps, his fellow partner, once upon a time.

Their time together had been fairly brief, but it was one hell of a ride.

He smiled sadly as he looked back on those memories, times when Cole had been brave,

valiant. Everything he was not, taking another swig of his glass at the sentiment.

Cole is full of the stuff that makes heroes; bravery, cunningness, dedication, loyalty and

virtue. However, Cole had his faults too; he was stubborn, far too curious for his own

good, and never backed down from a challenge, even if he could very well be killed in

the process.

A bleeding heart with a death wish.

He still didn't understand why Cole was so driven, his attention to detail an almost

perfect craft. Even more curiously, he never wanted to speak about the war – the

crowning jewel of a man's pride.

Or, at least, he thought that being a soldier did wonders for ones pride.

It certainly gave Cole a lot more experience in combat, giving him that extra edge.

Experience, another quality he didn't possess.

Originally, he had joined the force to follow in his father's footsteps, hoping to make a

difference. But how can he even begin to do that when he can't even use a shotgun?

"Hey, Ralph, you okay?" Ralph jumped at the sudden mention of his name, looking up

from his glass and seeing Enrique, their eyes meeting briefly. _'Well, it's hard to not _

_notice them with those bushy brows…'_ he mused, grinning at his friend, "Oh, hey

Enrique, didn't know you'd be showing up here."

Enrique chuckled as he sat down next to the brunette, "Someone has to keep an eye on

you guys, it might as well be me." He replied before taking a sip of his gin. "So, what's

going on? It's not like you to look so down." A loud cheer erupted from their fellow men;

a loud crash on the floor signaled someone taking a hard fall after one too many drinks.

Ralph and Enrique watched, dumbfounded, before breaking into smiles when Kaplan got

up from the floor to start singing The Star Spangled Banner – sounding more like a

prepubescent choir boy than a man. "See what I mean?" Enrique pointed his thumb in the

drunken oaf's direction with a grin, shaking his head before taking another sip of his

drink. "Sam might be a lightweight when it comes to drinking, but at least he can hold his

own in a fight." He muttered under his breath, chugging the remainder of his drink before

motioning for the bartender to send another glass his way. Enrique quirked a brow at the

sudden dip in the other man's tone, looking over at him with concern, "What's that

supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing; forget I said anything." Ralph waved his hand dismissively, sipping at

his drink. Enrique decided to let it go for now, assuming that his friend had had a rough

shift and may have been a little off this evening. Seeing as how Ralph wasn't his usual

talkative self, he let the silence creep in and settle over them, finishing the contents of his

glass before asking for another to polish off.

Enrique grunted as he helped Ralph out of the bar, pushing the door open and half

dragging-half carrying his friend towards the parking lot. Ralph had unwittingly drunken

himself into a stupor, grinning like an idiot and spouting nonsense. He started feeling a

little warm himself, his head swimming; but at least he was in better shape than the two

of them, he knew his limits.

"Where are we going?" Ralph slurred, trying to will his legs to straighten up and walk

properly. "We'll go to my place, it's not far." The raven-haired officer answered, pausing

to readjust his hold on the stumbling fool at his side; opting to just pull him towards his

car rather than wait for his legs to comply.

Once they were at his squad car, Enrique leaned Ralph against it as he fished out his

keys; noticing that the other man's head drooped down to his chest as he hummed a tune.

Chuckling at his friend's musings, he grabbed his right wrist and placed his hand on his

back to help guide him to sit on the seat. "Watch your head." He murmured, helping to

buckle his seatbelt before shutting the door.

Hustling around to the other side, he opened his door and slid into his seat, shutting the

door and starting the engine. Before pulling out of the lot, he turned on the radio to play

some jazz; it always comforted his buzzing head. The car was filled with the pleasant

thrumming of cello strings and the warble of trumpets as they rode through the darkness,

their bodies warmed by the alcohol in their veins.

The mixture made it almost seem like a dream, a dark, listless one at that.

"How do you do it?" Enrique glanced at Ralph as he broke the silence between them.

"Do what?" he asked in turn, changing lanes before driving up a hill.

"How do you work in this job knowing that there's always someone better than you?"

Ralph mumbled, his head resting against the window's cool glass. Enrique raised an

eyebrow at the question, frowning as he tried to make sense of the sudden inquiry.

Ralph wasn't necessarily new, but he still had a lot to learn.

Humility, for one thing, was a good place to start.

"There will always be someone better than me, but it doesn't matter; what matters is that

we do our job-" He paused when he saw the brunette roll his eyes at the corny statement.

"Ralph, there's no room for pride in this job, we have to do what we can to the best of our

abilities." He rephrased his answer, taking on a more stern tone.

He stared at the younger officer, his expression softening. "This is about Phelps, isn't it?"

Seeing the brunette's face slacken, his lips parting in shock, confirmed his suspicions.

"Are you jealous because he moved up in rank?" he pressed, his curiosity begging to be

fed. "No, I know that he deserved that promotion; he's a good guy, a good cop." Ralph

straightened up in his seat, his gaze locked onto his folded hands in his lap. "I just wish I

could do more to help, you know?"

He glanced at his tanner friend, looking away as he became more sheepish.

"All that time, Cole was always the one who saved the day; he always had a better handle

on things."

"So, he has good intuition and reflexes; the war probably did him a huge favor in that

department. But, you're still young, you have plenty of time to catch up." He tried to

reassure the other man, slowing to a stop in front of his apartment building. "We're here."

Opening his door, Enrique began to walk around the car, stumbling a bit, before opening

Ralph's door and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "You can stay with me tonight,

and I'll take you back to your car in the morning." He stated as he kicked his foot back to

slam the car door shut behind them, carefully guiding the brunette onto the sidewalk and

into the building.

"Come on, buddy, you've got to stop thinking like that; stop selling yourself short."

Enrique huffed as he reached the top of the staircase, taking a moment to readjust his grip

on Ralph's wrist before continuing to his apartment. Nearly the whole journey of

climbing four flights of stairs consisted of his fellow officer downplaying his livelihood;

his job, his lack of a sex life and everything in between.

He had always assumed that the brunette was more of a jolly drunk, this sack of self-pity

hanging off his shoulder had proven him wrong. He didn't understand why Ralph was so

critical of himself…

Retrieving his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, helping

Ralph step inside before closing it behind them. "I'm telling you, Enrique, I've got

nothing going for me. At this rate, I'll be stuck as a patrolman for good; handing out

parking tickets and breaking up barroom brawls." Ralph complained bitterly, standing in

place as his friend removed his hat to place on a coat hanger.

When Ralph's legs locked up, he gasped when he toppled over and slammed into the

wall. Enrique, still holding onto his unsteady friend, went with him when the sudden shift

in weight caused him to lose his balance, his right hand planting itself against the wall

near Ralph's head.

Ralph's breath caught in his throat as he laid against the wall, staring into his friend's

brown eyes, his mind blanking. Enrique was aware that he was just inches away from the

brunette's face, smelling the whiskey on his breath. For whatever reason, he was

genuinely curious as to how his friend's lips felt, what they tasted like. He leaned in

closer and pressed their lips together, taking Ralph's bottom lip between his own to

gently tug and suckle on. A soft sound of surprise left Ralph's throat as Enrique captured

his lips, smelling the other man's aftershave. He knew that he was kissing Enrique, but he

didn't necessarily make the connection that they both were men; he didn't care, and he

didn't want to stop. Ralph parted his lips to slip his tongue into Enrique's mouth, his eyes

fluttering closed and moaning as their tongues met and caressed each other. Enrique

moaned in response, his left hand cupping the back of Ralph's head while his right slid

down to grasp his friend's toned hip.

"Well, you're a good kisser, you've got that going for you." He breathed when he pulled

away, moving down to kiss along the brunette's neck; pushing his knee in between

Ralph's thighs and grinding against him, smiling when the other man moaned and thrust

his own hips forward.

Ralph bit his lip to stifle a moan as Enrique continued to kiss the nape of his neck,

shivering when a particularly ticklish spot was caressed roughly. Running his fingers

through Enrique's short hair, he realized how soft and curly it was despite the hair gel

that slicked it back.

Enrique gasped and pushed back against Ralph's wandering hand as it grabbed his ass

firmly, feeling emboldened enough to reach forward and take his right nipple between his

thumb and forefinger, pinching the sensitive flesh teasingly through his navy blue shirt as

he clasped his mouth over Ralph's once more.

Ralph gasped at the sudden squeeze on his nipple, never having the pleasure of

experiencing such a foreign touch before. His nipples grew hard and pressed against his

shirt, groaning when Enrique pressed his fingers against his chest and roughly brushed

the digits against him.

Enrique took Ralph's hand and guided it until he had it pressed against the front of his

pants, pulling away from his lips to look him in the eye, "Do you want this, Ralph?" he

purred with a cocky smirk.

Ralph was taken aback when his friend had taken his hand and placed it over his crotch,

feeling the protruding bulge in the confines of his uniform. In that moment, he had grown

nervous; he never had sex with a man before, never thought that it was possible.

A kiss on his forehead brought him broke him from his reverie, looking up into those soft

almond eyes.

"I promise I'll take good care of you; but if you don't want to, I understand." He

murmured reassuringly.

Ralph felt comforted by Enrique's words, throwing caution to the wind and deciding that

they can at least try and see how it goes. "I want it." He responded, giving his friend's

concealed member an experimental squeeze, grinning when Enrique released a choked

cry.

"Alright then, come on." Enrique swallowed thickly as he grasped Ralph's hand and

guided him to his bedroom. Enrique grasped Ralph's forearms and guided him until he

sat down on the bed, beginning to unbutton his shirt. Ralph brought his hands up to

remove his hat and tie, surprised when the other man's grasped his wrists to stop his

movements. "Leave them, you look good with them on." Enrique winked, causing the

blush on Ralph's face to darken. Once the shirt was unbuttoned, Enrique slipped it off

Ralph's shoulders before tossing it on the floor and beginning to work on his pants.

After unbuckling and unzipping Ralph's pants, he reached inside to brush his hand along

the brunette's concealed length, feeling it harden against his palm. Ralph moaned as

Enrique touched him, easing back onto his elbows, his hips thrusting upwards to meet the

teasing palm. Enrique smiled at Ralph's reaction, petting him a little more before pulling

his hand away to start easing Ralph's pants and underwear down his hips. Ralph sucked

in a breath and lifted his hips off the bed to help Enrique undress him with more ease,

grabbing his tie to pull him in for a brief kiss. Enrique licked his lips after pulling away,

removing the brunette's shoes and socks and finally pulling the garments past his ankles

and dropping them.

He had been patiently undressing his lover, savoring the deliciously creamy skin as each

bit was revealed to him; but now, his fingers worked quickly in removing his own

clothing, tossing pieces of his uniform across the room carelessly. He then strode over to

the nightstand to grab a bottle of lubricant, uncapping the lid and setting it on the bed

before reaching out to Ralph.

"Okay, Ralph, I need you on your hands and knees, it'll be easier to do this that way." He

explained calmly, his fingers massaging the brunette's shoulders comfortingly. Ralph was

a bit confused by the aspect of getting on his knees, but complied, slowly sitting up

before turning around to face the headboard and getting into position. "Is this alright?" he

asked, looking over his shoulder for confirmation.

"Perfect, now, I'm going to prepare you for the next step." Enrique caressed Ralph's firm

ass, reaching his other hand to grab the bottle and squeeze a bit of the cream onto his

fingers. "This might hurt a little bit, but I'll try to make it as painless as possible, okay?"

"Alright." Ralph nodded, grasping the sheets between his fingers as he waited for

Enrique's next move, jumping a little when he felt a finger slowly press into him.

It didn't hurt, oddly, but it was different.

Enrique slowly pumped his finger in and out of Ralph, frowning at the obvious tightness

that surrounded the digit. He was starting to have second thoughts, he didn't want to hurt

his friend. After a second finger had been inserted, Ralph felt more blood rush to his

nether regions as he was touched so intimately. "Come on, Enrique, I can take it." He

insisted, growing impatient.

Enrique did as asked, moving his two fingers at a faster pace to help stretch Ralph a little

more thoroughly. Ralph gasped as those fingers brushed against a certain spot somewhere

deep within him, instinctively pushing back against the fingers to add more friction. "Do

that again." He breathed, groaning louder as Enrique moved his fingers inside of him at a

rhythmic pace. He looked over his shoulder once the fingers were removed, curious as to

what will come next. He was glad that he decided to look back; he was graced with the

sight of Enrique stroking himself, carefully coating his cock with more of the cream.

Enrique bit his lip when he saw Ralph looking at him over his shoulder, resisting the

strong urge to stroke himself at the sight of his friend's flushed face. "Saved the best for

last." He chuckled, climbing onto the bed and taking hold of Ralph's hips, easing the tip

of his length into the brunette.

He instantly felt Ralph tense up at the intrusion, pausing to allow him to adjust to the

feeling before continuing. "It's alright, we'll take it slow, relax." He murmured, caressing

Ralph's hip and leaning forward to place a kiss on his back. Ralph bit his lip, breathing

through his nose as he tried so hard to tell himself to relax. "Alright." He nodded,

wishing his friend would just get on with it.

Enrique eased out before slamming back into Ralph, encouraged by the groans from the

other man, he soon built up an even pace. Enrique then wrapped his left arm across

Ralph's chest and pulled him closer so they were pressed against each other, back to

front, in a writhing embrace.

His other hand moved down to grasp Ralph's hip, helping to steady himself as he began

to thrust into him at a faster pace, relishing the groans from the brunette. "Enrique!"

Ralph breathed, his hands grabbing onto the arm across his chest, biting his lip harshly.

Enrique then nibbled on Ralph's neck, eyeing the navy blue cap that still sat on his head

as they rocked into each other erratically.

"Are you going to come for me, officer?" he mused, reaching around to stroke Ralph's

throbbing cock, nibbling on his ear lobe. "Ahh – Enrique-" Ralph continued moan, his

brain failing to connect with his mouth to form words. "I'm going to make you scream so

loud the whole precinct is going to come looking for us." He grinned at his friend's

shameless moans, squeezing his member briefly, pausing as he wanted to be able to

climax with him, groaning as his hips thrust up against Ralph's backside.

Ralph cried out as Enrique's expert fingers stroked him, feeling his cock brush up against

that same spot over and over until his breath caught in his throat, releasing a breath

before slacking against his lover's grip. Enrique stiffened and bit into Ralph's shoulder as

he reached his own orgasm, moaning as he came.

With a tired sigh, he slowly pulled out of the brunette and held him closely against his

chest in a hug. Ralph relaxed against Enrique's embrace, running his hand through his

unkempt locks as he kissed along his neck and shoulder blade. "You're a good cop,

Ralph, you might not see it yet, but you have a lot of potential." Enrique murmured in

Ralph's ear, stroking his chest lovingly.

"If I never get out of Patrol, at least I won't be alone, right?" Ralph answered, glancing

up at the other man, returning the content smile.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

First L.A. Noire smut fic and quite possibly the one and only story featuring patrol cops Ralph Dunn and

Enrique Gonzales. I wrote this back on November 17th 2013 when someone on the LANoirekinkmeme

requested a story with these two and I was curious myself and decided to give it a try.

And, actually, I think they might be kind of sweet together.

It's too bad that they didn't make very many appearances in the game, I wanted to know more about Ralph

and I'd really like to know more about Enrique and Stefan's friendship.

Lin


End file.
